Shuttle XPC SZ170R8 V2: Small but Powerful

Compact, efficient and incredibly powerful if you spring for the right parts, the Shuttle XPS SZ170R8 V2 has a lot going for it. The small form factor of the motherboard does not take away from its power. Even better is its capability as a portable machine.

SGCafe.com

Student Council Presidents are usually those student leaders who are well-organized and have natural leadership skills. There are a lot of anime characters who have the traits to become an excellent Student Council President, so Charapedia asked which characters would make the best one. 10,000 people (46.2% male, 53.7% female) all voted for a total of...

About VR-Zone

Game studio Valve is preparing prototypes of its Steam Box gaming console for testing within the next few months, according to the company's CEO.

Game studio Valve is preparing prototypes of its Steam Box gaming console for testing within the next few months, according to the company's CEO.

Gabe Newell, top dog at Valve, told the BBC that prototypes will be ready within four months, confirming long-running rumours that the studio was building its own console.

Newell said the testing will be to “gauge [customers'] reactions,” suggesting the firm is still far away from launching the device. He admitted that there are currently noise and heat issues, which he said were challenging to fix while still trying to keep the system powerful.

The type of controller that will acompany the Steam Box is still undecided, but Valve is exploring the concept of adding sensors that detect a gamer's body state, including their heart rate, which is designed to see how stimulated the gamer is from the content. This could result in the game experience changing depending on the mood of the player.

With Steam boasting a whopping 50 million members on PCs and Macs, there is already an established customer base for Valve to sell to, and still nearly a year before the second next-generation console, Sony's PlayStation 4, hits the shelves.

At this stage it is still too early to tell just how successful the Steam Box might be, but the top three console makers on the market at the moment might have to make room for a new player, and one that has a large catalogue of games to offer.